Board of Trustees
An elected group of individuals that seeks to ensure the best interest of the grounds.
Charles Blackman
Charles has been interested in cars since his preschool days. He still owns the first 2 Packards he bought: a 1940 All Weather Cabriolet (the last "town car" in Columbus, OH, purchased in 1955, and a 1937 Twelve 2-4 Coupe, purchased from a used car lot in 1956 for $100. He owns a number of other rare Packards and has actively participated in many car clubs and museum boards for years, and has been a member of the Packard Motor Car Foundation since its inception. His involvement in the Foundation brings together 2 of his major interests, historic preservation and the Packard Company and its products.
Bruce Blevins
Bruce became interested in Packards when he "met" his Uncle Jim’s 1934 convertible coupe at the age of 8 and fell in love with the front end styling. As he read about Packards, he became impressed with the company and its cars. He bought his first Packard at age 18, a 1933 sedan. Since then he has owned a total of 7, all 1933 models. He has been a member of Packard Automobile Classics and Motor City Packards since 1980, and also the Classic Car Club of America, the Antique Automobile Club of America and Packards International. After visiting the Packard Proving Grounds, he realized that it was a "gem that needed to be saved," and joined the Board of Trustees of the Packard Motor Car Foundation approximately 20 years ago. He has served as Treasurer for last 15 years and has been pivotal in on-site organizing and monitoring the restoration of the Proving Grounds. Retired from his precision machining business, he has recreated accurate copies of many items for the Packard Proving Grounds and Packard collectors in general.
Brian Burke
Brian became interested in Packards after visiting the Greenfield Village car show as a youngster. He has loved Packards ever since. He became part of the Packard Automobile Club in 1970, and is a charter member of Motor City Packards and a founding member of East Grand Packards. He joined the Board of Trustees of the Packard Motor Car Foundation in 2002 and has served as its Secretary. He and his wife own 5 Packards dating from early (a 1917 Twin Six) to late (a 1955 Caribbean convertible). He serves as our resident consultant answering questions about year, model, and other questions which arise when scanning our many antique Packard photographs.
Bud Juneau
Bud has been involved with old cars since he was a teenager. He owns a 1937 Packard Touring Sedan. He has been a staple in the Packard Automobile Club since it was formed, and was one of the principals who conceived of and created the Packard Motor Car Foundation as a means to preserve the legacy of the Packard company. He served as its first president. A retired educator, he is a graphics artist and photographer who produces and publishes the annual newsletter for the foundation.
Roger Luksik
Roger’s parents met while working at Packard during WW2. His mother inspected parts for the Merlin aircraft engine and his father was in Plant Protection. He wishes to honor and to preserve their work, as well as their many life-long friends, in the Arsenal of Democracy. He and his wife, Joan, own two 1941 models. He is a Life member of the Packard Automobile Club and a 25+ year member of the Classic Car Club. He has chaired and organized 2 two PAC national meets in Michigan. Volunteering at the Packard Proving Grounds since 2001, he served as President of the Packard Motor Car Foundation from 2013 through 2018. Currently serving as Vice President, he chairs the foundation’s Accreditation and Fund Raising Committee. Non car interests include SCUBA diving, yacht racing, cycling, and alpine and cross-country skiing.
Neal Porter
Neal has been part of Packards for many years, owning 5 rare prewar Packards and a 1956 Caribbean. The prewar cars include 2 phaetons, a roadster, a limousine, and a 1939 Rollson-bodied custom town car. He began Vette Products of Michigan more than 20 years ago, and is a well-known provider of restoration parts to Corvette owners, manufacturing everything from frames and body panels to parts for convertible top mechanisms. Active in the Packard Automobile Club, he has served on the Packard Motor Car Foundation Board for many years and now chairs its Events Committee.
Mark Smucker
Mark bought his first Packard in 1994 after a practice consultant suggested he pursue an "outside interest." Seeing a photo of a Caribbean on a magazine cover, he decided to buy a 1953 which he later restored. He later discovered that his grandfather’s dealership sold Packards before dropping that line at the direction of Chrysler for whom he was the local Dodge dealer. His father regularly bought Packards from his grandfather, but switched to Chryslers and Dodges when Mark was too young to remember. He now owns several 1931 Packards, in addition to 3 post-war models. In several automotive clubs, he is most active in the Packard Club, where he and his wife have organized a National Meet and a Henry Joy Tour. A retired cardiologist, he volunteers in a low-cost clinic providing medical services to uninsured patients. A member of the Board of Trustees of the Packard Motor Car Foundation for about 20 years, he began a term as its President in January, 2019.
Greg Stachura
Introduced to Packards when a business colleague restored a 1937 120 Convertible Coupe. He has owned several prewar Packards, and has been compelled to join our efforts because of his regard for the fine automobile company, Packard. He has been a member of the Packard Club for more than 25 years, and on our board for about 20 years. He has served as our Treasurer, and on local and national boards of the Packard Club and the Classic Car Club of America. In addition to volunteering in organizations related to antique automobiles, he volunteers consultation in business matters of companies owned by military veterans. He enjoys his family, friends, and reading history. A person who knows many people, he chairs the Nominating Committee of the Packard Motor Car Foundation.
John A. James
John has been interested in cars for as long as he can remember. He grew up in the 40’s and 50’s in Mississippi helping his Father overhaul cars and installing optional aftermarket equipment. His first car was a 1942 Dodge and his first new car was a 1965 Ford LTD. Mr. James now owns more than 2 dozen classic and collector cars ranging from the late 30’s to the early 90’s. John’s interest in the Packard came in his preteen years when a neighbor owned Packards ranging from mid to late 30’s. When John obtained his first full time job as an early teen as a grocery store delivery boy, he was also responsible for cleaning and maintaining his employers 1950 Packard. His dream was always to own a 1941 Packard and he recently acquired his first one last year (2019). Mr. James is a member of the Walter P. Chrysler Club, Ford and Mercury Restorers Club of American and the Classic Car Club of America – both the National and Michigan region.
Bruce Webster
Bruce was raised in farm country of Michigan where he was much more interested in the machines of farming rather than the agriculture. He was a self proclaimed nerdy kid in school that excelled in math and the sciences and struggled with everything else. Bruce got a BS in mechanical engineering from Michigan State in 1965 and worked for Chrysler & Daimler Chrysler for 36 years, retiring in 2001. 35 of his Chrysler years were in various kinds of engine engineering.
In retirement, Bruce consulted with a California law firm as a technical expert part-time for about a year and then took on an interesting project to convert a gasoline powered car to run on hydrogen. The purpose of the project was to store the fuel supply as a solid hydride and therefore extend the range over the range attained by use of high pressure tanks.
In 2004 Bruce was invited to a work session at the Packard Proving Grounds and, for the most part, he have never left. His interests in engineering, racing cars and motorcycles , and the Arsenal of Democracy all have components in Packard and the Packard Proving Grounds. Bruce intends to continue to strive to keep this legacy and this historic gem available as a historic teaching site for future generations.
Bruce has been married to Dorothy for 52 years. We have 2 children and 4 grandchildren.
Tom Tuls
Tom has enjoyed cars since he was a little kid. One of the earliest pictures of him shows his sister pushing him in his homemade car of mismatched buggy wheels when he was about 8 yrs old.
After graduating from Holland Christian High School, he graduated from Calvin College with a degree in Math and Business. Later he joined his brother as a partner at Holland Insulating Co. After 50 years doing that work, he retired July, 2019.
Throughout his life he has enjoyed a variety of cars including many Model A Fords, a 1933 Chevy, a 1929 Franklin, a 1927 Rolls Royce P1 Newmarket Conv Sedan, and at least 20 Packards. Tom lives in Holland with his wife Donna. They have been married 45 yrs. They have four married children and 9 grandchildren.
